


Out of the Ashes of Our Pasts

by Wolfling21



Series: STRQ FRZZ [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Estrangement, F/M, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, My First Work in This Fandom, Oddly Domestic, Original Character Death(s), Past Relationship(s), Post Destruction of Beacon, Previous team at Beacon, Qrow's Hurt, Spoilers, Stop Killing Characters!, Team STRQ - Freeform, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-09-17 03:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9302387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfling21/pseuds/Wolfling21
Summary: The world went to shit after Beacon was destroyed.  Everyone's trying to pick up the pieces but Team RNJR are trying to make the world right again.  Qrow's hurt & close to death.  So when an old friend of the Xiao Long-Branwen-Rose clan offer's assistance, nobody is going to say no.





	1. Out of the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Tipping Point & probably an alternate storyline to future episodes.
> 
> Rowena & Summer Lupin belong to me.

“Uncle Qrow... you're heavy.” Ruby whispered, glancing over her shoulder at her unconscious uncle.

“Ruby? Is that you?” a voice called.

Ren pulled out Stormflower and aimed them at the shadows while Nora pulled Magnhild from her back.

A girl, about thirteen, stepped out of the shadows and said, “It's okay. I'm a friend. My name is Summer Lupin.”

Ruby set Qrow's stretched down and ran over to the hug the other girl. “Summer! I've missed you.” she chirped, hugging her friend tightly.

“I've missed you too Ruby. How's Yang and Uncle Tai?” Summer asked.

“Dad's great. Yang... lost her arm and isn't doing very good.” Ruby admitted.

Summer's eyes widened and she whispered, “Oh... poor Yang.”

“Sorry to interrupt... but who is she?” Juane asked.

Ruby smiled sheepishly and said, “This is Summer Lupin. She's a friend. Her mom used to visit a lot when we were little.”

Juane and Nora looked the newcomer over as Ren knelt beside Qrow.

Despite being younger than Ruby, Summer was a few inches taller than her friend with long and thick dark hair. Her right eye was hazel and her left eye was red.

“These are my friends Jaune, Nora and Ren.” Ruby told her.

“Nice to meet all of you.” Summer said, nodding shyly.

“Ruby. Your uncle is getting worse.” Ren called.

Summer moved to crouch beside the stretcher and looked at the purple stain on the bandages around Qrow's waist. “Home's not far from here. Mom's a skilled healer and Huntress. She should be able to help him.” she called to Ruby.

“Okay.” Ruby whispered.

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“Mama? Mama!” Summer shouted, throwing open the door to her home.

The house had been hidden amongst the trees and half covered in ivy... Ruby hadn't noticed it until they were at the front door.

“What is it Summer darling?” a voice called back.

“Ruby and some of her friends are here. They've got Ruby's uncle Qrow with them and he's hurt bad.” Summer said, pulling off her jacket to hang it up. With the long jacket off, Juane noticed a long black tail that had previous been hidden.

“She's a faunus.” Ren whispered to Nora.

“We both are. I hope that isn't a problem.” a woman said, stepping into the light.

She was tall with dark hair that matched her daughter's and hazel eyes with large wolf ears that were covered in fur the same shade as her hair. She wore a caramel tunic top, hunter green leggings, brown boots and a long green jacket. 

“Aunt Rowena... can you help my uncle Qrow?” Ruby asked, smiling shyly at the woman.

The woman stroked Ruby's hair and said, “I'll do what I can for him sweetheart. Who are your friends?”

“Juane Arc, Lei Ren and Nora Valkyrie. We all went to school together at Beacon.” Ruby told her.

Rowena nodded to them and said, “Boys, put the stretcher down by the fireplace. Summer, go to the kitchen and get some stew started for our guests. Ruby, tell me what happened.”

Ren and Jaune nodded before doing as she asked.

Qrow groaned and tried to sit up, looking around the room with glazed eyes.

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby shouted, rushing over to him.

“Rubes... you're okay?” he asked as she knelt beside him and Ruby let him drag her into his arms.

“I'm okay... but you're not. We met Summer on the way here. She brought us to her mom's house. Do you remember Aunt Rowena?” Ruby told him.

Qrow stared at her... then looked up as Rowena knelt beside him. “Wena?” he whispered.

“Hello you dusty old Qrow.” Rowena smiled.

“Wena.... what are you doing here? Did Tai invite you over? And where's the baby?” Qrow asked, looking around.

“We're at my home in Mistral. Not Tai's in Patch. You're very badly hurt and sick. Lie down.” Rowena told him as she stroked his hair.

“What baby is he talking about?” Jaune asked.

Rowena looked at him and said, “Summer. Qrow, Tai and I all went to Beacon together. The boys were on a team together. I was on a different team but the eight of us were very close... a long time ago. After Beacon... most of us went our separate ways. Qrow, Tai, Summer Rose and I stayed very close. When I was pregnant with my Summer and after she was born, I actually lived in one of the guest rooms at house in Patch. Unfortunately shortly after Ruby's mother died, Tai shut down and I moved out. We were very close... she and I.” 

“You named your daughter after her.” Ren added.

“Yes I did. Qrow must be hallucinating. Tell me exactly what happened to him.” Rowena told them.

Ruby looked at Ren, Nora and Juane before telling Rowena about the fight with Tyrian and how Qrow had been injured towards the end of it.

“A scorpion faunus... I had heard of them from some of my elders growing up but I've never actually met one. Did you happen to grab the stinger?” Rowena asked, opening Qrow's shirt to examine the wound. 

Ruby looked at her friends and whispered, “Um... no.”

“Then I supposed I'll have to do my best... and hope it's enough.” she sighed.

Summer stuck her head out of the kitchen and called, “Dinner's ready for everyone who's hungry.”

“Go eat and relax. I'll start doing what I can for Qrow.” Rowena told them.


	2. Upon a Raven's Wing

“Where are you from Ms. Lupin?” Ren asked.

“I was born in a town in Menagerie but I grew up in Vacuo. Despite being Faunus, my father and I were accepted because he was a great healer. He was a highly skilled herbalist but his semblance also allowed him to speed up the healing process by using people's auras. I applied to Beacon instead of Shade when I wanted to become a Huntress because I didn't care much for the back that Shade was the only source of order in the Kingdom.” Rowena told him.

“How old were you when you went to Beacon?” Ruby asked.

“Seventeen. My father didn't agree with my decision at first but he eventually accepted it.” she said, peeling off her jacket and setting it aside.

“I forgot you had a tail too.” Ruby admitted.

Nora, Jaune and Ren stared at her before they all glanced down at the long black tail that had previously been hidden underneath her long jacket.

“I didn't think Faunus ever had ears and a tail.” Nora said.

“We don't... not normally. I usually keep my tail hidden under a jacket because I'm an oddity amongst my own kind. When I was born, my mother tried to remove my tail. My father took me away and we went to live in Vacuo.” she sighed.

“That's terrible.” Summer gasped.

Qrow groaned and tried to rolled over as Rowena probed the wound. Her fingertips came away purple and sticky. “How much has the wound bled?” she asked.

“Quite a bit at first. Not so much lately.” Jaune admitted.

Rowena growled softly and muttered, “Damn... the poison is still pretty potently in his system then.”

“Do you need something mom?” Summer asked.

“No sweetheart. Eat your dinner and visit with Ruby and her friends.” she sighed.

As they ate, Rowena mixed herbs into a poultice and applied it to Qrow's wound. “Hopefully that will draw out some of the poison. I don't think it's done any permanent damage yet... the wound certainly isn't deep enough to have done it.” she whispered.

“Do you think it'll be safe for him to drink something to help him sleep?” Summer asked, gathering up their bowls and silverware.

“Probably. Grab the dream tea from the kitchen and fill the kettle with water. We need more wood for the fire.” Rowena told her as she got up.

“Would you like help?” Ren asked.

“No, thank you. But if you insist, you might see if Summer would appreciate the help.” she smiled.

Qrow whimpered and rolled onto his uninjured side, scooting closer to the fire. Ruby sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. “It's okay Uncle Qrow. Aunt Rowena's gonna make you better.” she whispered. 

Rowena smiled and shut the front door behind her quietly so not to wake Nora, who had curled up on the couch to sleep immediately after eating. “Strange little girl.” she whispered.

“There are many of those, sister. To whom were you referring?”

Rowena's ears twitched and she spun to face the speaker. “Raven.” she growled.

“I mean you no harm. I'm only looking for sanctuary.” Raven whispered, removing her sword and setting it on the porch rail. 

Rowena glanced at the sword before returning her attention to the woman in front of her. “I don't have much space to offer you to sleep Raven. Tai's daughter Ruby is here with three of her friends from Beacon. Qrow is with them but he's injured. At best I can offer you a spot near the fireplace.” she told the other woman.

“That's fine.” Raven agreed.

Rowena pulled a tarp up and pulled some firewood from underneath it. “I want your word that you won't harm any of the children or your brother Raven. And do not mention your relation to Yang.” she demanded.

“You have my word. On my honor and loyalty to my tribe.” Raven swore.

“Leave your blade by the door. You may retrieve it when you leave here.” Rowena told her before opening the door.

Raven looked like she wanted to protest but thought better of it, leaving her sword outside and following Rowena into the house.

“There's water on.... the boil. Who's that mom?” Summer asked.

“Her name is Raven Branwen. She's Qrow's twin sister. She'll be staying with us for the night.” Rowena explained.

Raven looked Summer over and asked, “You have a daughter?”

“Yes. She was born many years after you disappeared.” Rowena told her as she added more wood to the fire.

Ruby looked at the dark haired woman and said, “I didn't know my uncle Qrow had a sister.”

“We're not very close. You look just like your mother... down to the eyes.” Raven told her, lifting Ruby's chin gently to get a better look.

Rowena growled softly and Raven stepped back. “May I use your shower 'Wena?” she asked.

“Yes. The master bedroom is upstairs... last door on the left. Help yourself to a change of clothes if you'd like. Just please don't leave any feathers in my tub.” Rowena told her. 

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The master bedroom was very simple: a four poster bed, dresser, table, a small desk and several bookshelves. Carefully she picked a framed photo from the bedside table: Qrow, with an arm slung around Rowena's shoulders, kissing her cheek and Rowena giggling.

“Why she loves you... I never understood.” she whispered, putting the photograph back down.

Even young, Qrow had been a strange mix of cynical and rude but charming and cool-headed. 

Rowena had always been confident, cunning, strong willed and caring. 

They had been quite the pair at Beacon and even afterwards.

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Qrow felt a hand gently wrap an arm around his shoulder and he groaned softly.

“I need you to wake up for a moment Qrow.” a voice whispered... familiar as his own and warm as his own feathers.

“ 'Wena?” he murmured, trying to focus.

“Yes my old friend. I need you to sit up and drink something for me.” she told him.

Friend... they had been lovers... until their beloved Summer Rose had died and his drinking habits had gotten worse... much worse.

“I'm sorry.” he whispered, burying his face in her neck.

“What for?” Rowena asked.

“Everything... drinking too much... how hard I took losing Summer....” he whimpered.

She rubbed his back gently and whispered, “Will you drink something for me?”

He nodded slowly and looked at the mug in her hand. Sniffing it, he found it smelled sweet and earthy. “What is it?” he murmured.

“Something that will help you sleep. You're still very sick.” she told him.

“Cold.” he muttered, trying to the take the mug from her but his muscles didn't quite respond the way he wanted them too.

Rowena helped him drink and said, “I've built the fire back up. Sleep as close to the edge of the fireplace as you want. Just stay human. Your wound won't heal in your bird form.” 

“No going feathery.” he yawned, easing himself back down to sleep.

Ruby yawned and whispered, “Is he going to be okay?”

“He should be. Why don't you and Summer go up to her room and sleep? See if you can rouse Nora and take her with you?” Rowena suggested.

“Nora won't wake up until she's ready.” Jaune sighed.

“There's a small bedroom upstairs across from Summer's, if you two want to sleep there.” Rowena said.

Ren and Jaune looked at each other before nodding. “Thank you.” Ren said before they both grabbed Nora and let Summer lead them all upstairs.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Rowena's ears twitched and she looked up as Raven stepped into the room. “The children?” Raven asked.

After her shower, she had pulled on a pair of sweats pants and an over sized shirt to hide the slit in the sweats for Rowena's tail.

“Asleep. Ruby and Summer are in Summer's room. The boys and their pink haired friend are in the smallest room upstairs.” Rowena told her.

Raven sat down on the couch and asked, “What happened?”

“He was injured by a scorpion faunus. The injury itself isn't that bad but poison seems to be quite potent. He's been unconscious and feverish since he got here. The few times he was awake, he was either hallucinating or very cuddly.” the other woman told her.

“I didn't think scorpion faunus existed.” Raven muttered.

“Neither did I. Are you hungry?” Rowena asked.

Raven nodded and Rowena got up, motioning for the other woman to follow her into the kitchen.


	3. STRQ FRZZ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of this chapter is actually a dream sequence

“It's been so long.” Rowena yawned, looking through an old photo album.

Summer Rose had loved to take photos of her friends & was responsible for almost all of the pictures in the album on Rowena's bed.

Yawning again, she shut the album & lay down to sleep.

Flashback/Dream

Rowena let out a scream as she flew through the air. She was a wolf faunus, not feline or avian & while she didn't mind an airship but this... she hated this.

Reaching towards the forest with her semblance, she pulled the wines & leaves of the trees together into a basket to catch her.

“That was awful.” she groaned, sliding down one of the vines.

At that moment a girl about her age burst through the brush. Her skin was darker than anyone Rowena had ever seen & both her hair & eyes were just as dark. “A little help?” the other girl called in a heavily accented voice.

A medium sized Nevermore soared down in front of them as Rowena pulled out her weapon.

“Short or long range?” she asked.

“Either one.” the other girl shrugged, pulling out a magazine of dust vials.

Rowena nodded & slipped a cane out of it's sheath strapped to her thigh. With a press of a button, the metal plates seperated so that instead of a cane it was now a whip. 

“Does that take Dust?” the dark girl asked.

“Crystals only.” Rowena told her.

“Then take this. It's Lightning.” the other said, handing her a yellow Dust Crystal.

Rowena loaded it into the handle of her cane-whip & flicked her wrist, sending the whip up into the air to wrap around the Nevermore's leg. The avian Grimm shrieked loudly & started to fly up before a purple blast slammed into it's chest, knocking it to the ground.

“Gravity works.” the dark girl smirked, holding up a gun.

Rowena laughed & thumbed a small button on the side of the handle, which sent electricity down the whip. The Nevermore screeched & trashed before falling still.

“Pretty sure it's dead. I'm Rowena by the way.” she said, flicking her wrist to distangle the whip from the Nevermore's leg.

“Zed. This is Solanase.” the dark girl told her, showing her the gun.

Rowena looked it over before pressing the button to return the weapon to it's cane form. “This is Suma Vratar.” she said, slipping the cane into it's sheath.

“Did you make it?” Zed asked.

“I had some help from a blacksmith in my home in Vacuo. But the design was entirely mine.” Rowena told her.

Zed smiled & said, “My twin sister & I are from an island on the South East coast of Mistral.” 

Rowena's ears twitched & she pulled her cane back out, extending it into whip form. 

“What do you hear?” Zed asked.

“Footfalls. Very heavy & fast. Pretty sure it's another Grimm.” she told her.

Zed pulled out Solanase & aimed it into the brush. Exactly as Rowena had guessed, another Grimm burst into view. “It's a Beowulf.” Zed snapped.

The Beowolf snarled at them for a moment before a second figure, much smaller than a Grimm, dove onto it's back. The new figure dug long, sharp claws into the Beowulf's shoulder & shoved a Dust Crystal between it's teeth. “Shoot it!” the stranger shouted.

A bullet flew from nearby & collided with the Dust Crystal, blowing the Beowulf to pieces.

“That was... different.” Rowena laughed, returning her weapon to it's original form then to it's sheath.

As the smoke cleared, a figure with long red hair & a long bushy tail auburn tail with a white tip stepped into the view. “I don't think I've ever seen a Grimm explode quite like that. I'm Finn by the way.” she smirked.

“Zed. This is Rowena.” Zed told her.

“I think I met your twin. We partnered up.” Finn said.

Rowena's ears twitched in the direction of the trees & she asked, “Are those claws retractable?”

The claws of Finn's weapons slipped into their sheathes within her gloves, leaving the curve of the claws to rest against her knuckles. “Filca Salbatica at your service.” Finn smirked.

The brush parted at Rowena's command & a girl, almost identical to Zed, stepped through the gap. While Zed's eyes were almost black & her hair long, her twin's eyes were hazel & her hair was short. “My name is Zeke. This is Minwi.” she told them.

“C'mon. We should go find those relics Ozpin talked about.” Finn suggested.

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Rowena glanced at Finn, Zed & Zeke as they stood before Ozpin, the rest of the staff & the rest of the students.

“Finn Albain, Rowena Lupin, Zed & Zeke Decoux. The four of you retrieved the green maiden figures. From this day forward, you will be known as Team FRZZ, led by Finn Albain.” Ozpin told them.

Finn's tail shot up to lay against her spine in surprise. “You'll do fine.” Zeke reassured her.

“Thanks.” Finn whispered as they walked off the stage.

A quick whistle caught Rowena's attention & she shot a glance over her shoulder.

Heading onto the stage was a tall, lanky young man with dark hair & red eyes who was smirking at her. Her tail gave a lazy wag as she rolled her eyes at him.

“Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven & Qrow Branwen. You retrieved the purple maiden figures. From this day forwards, you will be known as Team STRQ, led by Summer Rose.” Ozpin told them.

The shortest member of the newly formed Team STRQ gasped & immediately pulled the hood of her white cape up. The siblings Raven & Qrow looked at each other while Tailong leaned down to say something to little Summer Rose.

“He seems to like you. That Qrow guy.” Zed whispered to Rowena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Solanase: Haitian Creole for Nightshade (a gun that fires normal & dust bullets)  
> Minwi: Haitian Creole for Midnight (a gun that fires normal & dust bullets)   
> Fiica Salbatica: Romanian for Daughter of the Wild (gloves with retractable claws)  
> Suma Vratar: Croatian for Forest Keeper (Cane that seperates into a whip)
> 
> STRQ pronounced Stark  
> FRZZ pronounced Freeze


	4. A Qrow, Raven & Two Wolves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just realized that Raven is probably OOC.
> 
> My Avatar is Rowena's Emblem.

Summer woke up to the sound of coughing... a very loud, hacking cough and crawled out of bed.

Ruby murmured quietly and curled herself tightly around the spare pillow, making Summer laugh softly before pulling the door shut.

From the stairs, she saw the kitchen light was on and could see a shadow moving.

“Hello?” she called softly.

The coughing stopped and a rough voice called back, “Yeah?”

“Mr. Branwen?” she asked, coming down the stairs silently.

She knew the old Huntsman was a friend of her mother's and Ruby's beloved uncle but she didn't actually know the man. She assumed that if Ruby loved him... he couldn't be that bad.

“Mr. Branwen?” she called quietly.

Qrow coughed again, trying to stop shaking. “Stop calling me Mister. Makes me seem old.” he groaned.

“Sorry.” Summer whispered.

Qrow glanced over his shoulder at her and gave a weak smile. Little Summer looked so much like her mother... except for her left eye... red not hazel.

“Where'd you get that one red eye, little wolf pup?” he asked.

“My mother always said my father had red eyes.” she told him, tail swishing slowly.

He smirked a bit then immediately starting hacking again, whole body shaking with every cough. 

Summer pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and set it beside him, noting the mix of purple and blood red in the sink.

“Mom!!!” she shouted.

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Rowena shot awake and immediately rushed downstairs as Ruby came stumbling out of Summer's room. The boys and Nora rushed out of the spare room.

“Qrow?” Rowena called, not seeing him in the living room.

“In here! He's coughing up blood.” Summer called from the kitchen.

Rowena gently touched Qrow's shoulder then his forehead. He was running a very high fever and his shirt was soaked through with sweat. “There's still a lot of the poison in his system. We need an antidote. Nothing I've done is working.” she whispered.

Ruby rushed past everyone and threw her arms around Qrow's waist, hugging him tightly. 

Qrow groaned and patted her hair gently. “I'mma be okay kiddo.” he slurred.

“You need to lay back down Qrow.” Rowena told him.

He blinked slowly, trying to focus on her. His vision was blurry... making it hard to see. “Ruby help me get him laid back down.” Rowena sighed, tucking herself under Qrow's arm.

Ruby nodded slowly, sniffling as she helped Rowena take Qrow back to the living room.

“Summer grab a large bowl, fill it with ice water and grab some wash rags.” Rowena called over her shoulder.

Summer nodded slowly and moved to do as she was told. Ruby's uncle calling her a little wolf pup made her wonder just how close he and her mother were. Her mother was the only person who had ever called her a little wolf pup before.

“Where's Raven?” Jaune asked.

Rowena glanced around and muttered, “Gone most likely. She has this habit of disappearing without telling anyone.” 

“Raven's here?” Qrow murmured.

“She was.” Rowena admitted, carefully unpinning his cape and setting it aside before unbuttoning his shirt. It was a familiar motion... even though they hadn't been together for a long time.

Qrow cocked his head as he watched Rowena's hands then he looked up at her. “ 'Wena?” he asked.

“Hush featherhead.” she sighed, setting his shirt aside.

He was still just as pale and lean as she remembered but he also had a lot more scars. Qrow was loyal to the people he cared about but had a habit of pushing people away because he knew his semblance would affect everyone. But Rowena had stood beside him despite that... until they had all pushed each other away. Living alone... without each other... had been hard on them both.

“Couldn't you use Dust to bring his fever down?” Nora asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

“Dust is, contrary to popular belief, difficult to use. Weapons make it easy because you can safely push your Aura through the weapon to activate the dust or in the case of Dust Bullets, just pull a trigger. But to use it outside of a weapon isn't as easy. Even if you have a great deal of control over your aura, Dust can still backfire. So while I could try to lower his fever with some Ice Dust, there is a lot of risk involved in that.” Rowena told her.

Summer set the bowl of ice water and a stack of rags beside her mother and whispered, “How are you going to get an antidote?”

“I don't know.” she admitted, ears twitching.

The door quietly opened and Raven stepped inside, looking down at Qrow as she did. 

“He's worse.” Ruby told her.

“His fever is even higher and he was coughing up blood. The poison is killing him Raven. We need an antidote.” Rowena said.

Raven knelt down beside him, touching his neck gently. His pulse was fast, dangerously fast. “Who did this to him?” she asked Ruby.

“A scorpion faunus named Tyrian.” she whispered.

“What did he look like?” Raven growled.

Ruby sniffled and glanced down at Qrow before Ren began describing the man who had attacked them.

“Where was this?” Raven asked, pushing herself up.

“Oniyuri. Two days walk from here.” he told her.

Rowena looked up at her and whispered, “If he's injured, he probably wouldn't have gotten too far. When Faunus are hurt, especially badly, we find the nearest safe place to hole up and lick our wounds. He could still be in that town. And it's not nearly as long of a flight as it is a walk.”

Raven nodded slowly and whispered, “I'll find him. And the antidote.”

“Stay with him.” Rowena told Summer as she got up to follow Raven out the door.

“I don't need your help, sister.” Raven said, picking up her sword.

Rowena nodded and said, “I didn't plan to offer it. I'm needed here. But this... it isn't like you Raven. You always believed that only the strongest survive. So why go out of your way to save Qrow's life?”

“We spent nine months in our mother's womb together and almost every waking moment afterwards until we graduated Beacon. Despite what you believe, that does make him mean something to me.” Raven admitted.

“What about your daughter? You carried her for nine months and spent seventeen hours in labor to bring her into the world.” Rowena asked, stepping off the porch so they wouldn't be over heard.

“I saved her once.” Raven told her.

Rowena's ears shot forward and the fur on her tail bristled. “She lost part of her arm! Ruby said she's not doing well because of that! Yang is just like Tai!” she snarled.

Tai had always been the optimist of their strange little family while at Beacon: dragging them to parties or restaurants or movies, always laughing and always fun loving. As an adult and father, that hadn't change much... until Summer had died. 

Summer's death had sent him into a deep depression that had made it almost impossible for him to do anything at all. His fire... his light had gone out and was replaced by a suffocating darkness.

It had taken him quite a while to find his way, recover and be a father to his daughters.

“Qrow told me.” Raven whispered.

“And you don't care, do you!? You don't really even care if your brother lives or dies! You don't give a damn if your niece loses her father without actually even knowing him!” Rowena snapped.

Raven spun to face her, letting the tip of her sword touch Rowena's throat. “Don't tell me who I do or don't care about. And you're the one who raised your daughter not knowing her father.” she hissed.

“You're the only reason that your daughter doesn't know her birth mother.” Rowena growled.

The tip of Raven's sword broke through the skin of Rowena's throat, drawing a bead of blood. Rowena's ears swiveled towards the forest and she whispered, “Raven.”

Raven glanced in the direction Rowena's ears had swiveled and felt the ground shake. “Grimm.” she whispered, pulling her sword away from Rowena's throat.

“Mom?!” Summer called, sticking her head out the front door.

“Grab me my cane and then get back into the house!” Rowena commanded as an Ursa rushed into view.

Summer pulled her mother's cane from the corner behind the door and tossed it towards her mother, who spun to catch it. 

The ebony sheath was well worn from years of use but the wood looked well cared for. Rowena's emblem, Remnant's moon shattering into paw prints, was circled by silver and set into the ebony. While the sheath itself was beautiful, the weapon itself was even more impressive.

The thick cane was metal forged with Earth Dust to make it more durable with sharp edges and a point. The handle housed a small compartment for Dust Crystals. 

Raven watched Rowena thumb a button on the grip of her cane and saw the cane separate into thin metal plates held in place by a thick wire. The weapon was a very impressive one and unique... or so she assumed because she had never seen another Huntsman or Huntress use a weapon like it. Many Grimm had fallen to that weapon and it's wielder.

“Why are you still here Raven? Go find that scorpion Faunus.” Rowena growled.

Raven nodded, slipped her mask on and was gone in a flurry of feathers. She screeched loudly as the Ursa tried to take a swipe at her before a whistle from Rowena returned it's attention to her.


	5. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has consumed my life for the past few weeks! And hurt Qrow has ruined me! Buying the nice steelbook collection of volumes 1 - 3 probably isn't helping my obsession.
> 
> PS: I don't know much about how Aura works in RWBY... sorry

Nora knelt down to the stare out the window as ivy covered the house. “How is she doing that?” she whispered.

“Mom's semblance lets her control plants. She doesn't use it often to make anything grow abnormally or out of season. Mostly she uses it to hide the house and protect me from Grimm.” Summer told her.

“That's kinda cool.” Jaune whispered, setting a cold rag on Qrow's forehead.

“ 'Wena.” Qrow murmured.

Ruby set another rag on Qrow's chest and whispered, “I hope Raven gets back with an antidote soon.”

“Me too.” Summer agreed.

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The Ursa sniffed the air and rose on it's hind legs to look around.

“Come on. I'm the one you want to fight.” Rowena shouted.

The Ursa roared as the wind shifted and carried her scent towards it. She smelled like an animal... like a Huntress... like a threat.

Rowena spun, whip slapping across the Ursa's shoulder... drawing it towards her. A second spin sent the whip across it's unprotected belly.

The Ursa growled and dropped onto all fours to rush at Rowena, who jumped into the air to avoid it's lunge. She pressed a button on the handle to return her weapon to it's cane form then a second press shifted it into it's third form.

The metal plates forming the cane flattened then settled together to form a sword.

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Ruby touched Qrow's arm before peeking out the window beside Nora. “Wow.” she whispered, staring up at her aunt.

“She's amazing Ruby.” Ren whispered.

“Yeah she is. Summer?” Ruby agreed as she looking over her shoulder at Summer.

Nora went to sit by Qrow and Jaune as Summer settled down beside Ruby. She knew her mother was an extremely talented Huntress but she didn't get to see her fight Grimm often.

“Tai... 'Wena... left.” Qrow whimpered as Nora set a new rag on his forehead.

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When it realized it had been tricked, the Ursa rose to it's hind legs and roared it's displeasure.

“I don't fear you. Or any of your kind.” Rowena growled, landing back on the ground.

The Ursa swiped at her with one of it's massive paws but missed as she danced away. Glancing towards the house, she saw silver, red, hazel and pale pink eyes peeking out of the window. One ear flicked to the side in annoyance before she rushed the Ursa, slashing it's thigh with her sword.

The Ursa collapsed to the ground and lay there growling loudly. Rowena ran her hand down the length of her sword and it began to glow a dark green color. The white mask resisted her blade only for a moment before shattering when she stabbed it down into the Grimm's skull. 

The Ursa shook once before it began to dissolve into a black mist. 

“And that, children, is how we kill a Grimm.” Rowena thought, chuckling softly as she glanced towards the house. Ruby and Summer were still watching from the window with looks of amazement.

One of her ears swiveled at the sound of something crashing through the trees and she had only a second to turn as another Ursa rushed towards her, roaring loudly.

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Qrow's eyes flicked open at the roar that echoed through the house.

Grimm... an Ursa... unless his ears were tricking him.

For a moment, his head cleared and he remembered where he was... Rowena's home in Mistral.

Ruby and the other kids had brought him here after they had met little Summer in the woods. Rowena had been trying to take care of him but since he still felt like shit... it wasn't working.

“Mr. Branwen.” Jaune protested as he forced himself into a sitting position.

Qrow groaned and tore the wrapping that he always wore from around his right wrist. Under the wrapping he had a tattoo of Rowena's emblem. 

He didn't have a lot of aura to spare with it trying to heal his wound and failing because of the poison, but he had just a little that he could still use. 

Wincing, he touched his tattoo and focused what little aura he could into a semi corporal form. “Protect her.” he whispered as a wave of dizziness hit him.

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Rowena ducked down, tossing up a shield of dark green aura as the Ursa swiped at her. 

It's claws dug into her shield, trying to push through her Aura and then the Ursa roared as something red flew over her, straight into it's face. 

Rowena looked up to see what appeared to be a red bird formed from Aura. It was small, definitely small enough to sit on her shoulder and had a fan shaped tail. “Qrow.” she whispered.

The bird gave a soft screech, fading from view quickly. 

She growled softly and slashed at the Grimm with her sword, opening deep wounds on it's neck, stomach and front legs. Finally, she shoved her sword blade up into it's lower jaw and then it's skull.

Not waiting for it begin dissolving, she bolted for her front door.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“Mom! Qrow... he did something with his aura!” Summer shouted as soon her mother rushed into the house.

“I know.” Rowena told her, crouching next to Qrow.

He was shivering, panting and sweating all at once. His aura was dangerously low and the wrapping he had been wearing around his wrist was in shreds beside him.

“Qrow Branwen... you're an idiot.” she sighed, stroking the tattoo of her emblem.

“Love you too 'Wena.” he whispered as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against her shoulder.

Ruby and Summer looked at each other before Ren asked, “Who are you two to each other?”

Rowena kissed Qrow's cheek and said, “We were lovers... years ago... at Beacon and even afterwards. When Tai bought the house in Patch, we moved in with him and lived in one of the spare bedrooms upstairs. It never occurred to us to get our own place since we were always out on missions. About a year and a half after Ruby was born, I found out I was pregnant... so I stopped going out on missions. When the baby was born, I named her Summer after my best friend. Then almost two years later... my best friend died. All three of us: Tai, Qrow and I sank into very deep depressions. Tai lost his fire, Qrow started drinking a lot more but I just barely managed to keep from drowning. My baby Summer helped. But Qrow and I started fighting... not just small arguments but full blown fights that usually ended with me slapping Qrow then him flying off for the night.”

“I'm sorry.” Qrow murmured, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Summer swallowed thickly and whispered, “You always said my father had red eyes.”

Rowena's ears slid back as she nodded slowly. Qrow lifted his head from Rowena's shoulder to look at Summer. Their eyes were the exact same shade of red... the same shade of dying embers.

“You're my father.” Summer whispered.

Qrow nodded before he started coughing again, burying his face against Rowena's shoulder.

“So we're cousins.” Ruby said, looking at Summer.

Summer nodded before moving to sit beside her father. “His aura is dangerously low.” she whispered.

“Will you lay back down so we try to take care of you until Raven returns with an antidote?” Rowena asked Qrow as she stroked his hair gently. 

Qrow nodded and let them ease him back down, squeezing Summer's hand gently.

“I'm sorry. It was your mom's choice to raise you not knowing me after we split up. But I asked her not to give you my last name when she told me she was pregnant.” he whispered.

“Why?” Summer asked.

“My semblance is misfortune. And it affects everyone: enemies, friends, family. Also... my last name comes with a lot of baggage and danger. The last thing I ever wanted was for any of that to come back on you.” he admitted.

Summer nodded and curled up beside him, resting her head on his arm. Underneath the sticky sweet smell of sickness, there was another scent... one that she only vaguely recognized: alcohol, wind and something sharp that she had no name for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't realize when I posted this chapter that today is the second anniversary of Monty's death. So thank you Monty for giving us these amazing, adorable & sometimes annoying characters & thank you Rooster Teeth for continuing after Monty's passing. These four girls & their friends have touched so many hearts, including mine.


	6. Soul Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not to sure on how Aura works or it's limitations. So going out on a limb with a few things.

Raven landed on a broken wall and stared into the building across the town square. 

Rowena had been right... of course she had... the scorpion faunus had not even left Oniyuri.

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Tyrian whimpered and touched the bandages around the tip of his tail. “I'll kill that little bitch.” he sobbed.

“You will not be killing anyone.”

Tyrian jumped and cried out at the pain that shot through him. “Who are you?” he asked, glaring into the shadows.

A woman dressed in red and black stepped into view, wielding a long red blade. “My name is no concern of yours. I am here for the antidote to your poison.”

“There isn't one.” Tyrian lied, stepping back. His wrist blades were on the other side of the room and he had a feeling this woman would not be letting him near them anytime soon.

Raven narrowed her eyes behind her mask and rushed forward, tripping the faunus and pinning him to the floor. She pressed her sword blade against his throat and growled, “Don't lie to me.”

“There isn't an antidote!” he shouted.

“Lies!” Raven screamed in his face. 

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Summer's eyes flickered open when she felt Qrow's chest stop moving for a second. “Dad?” she whispered, touching the side of his neck.

His pulse was barely there... his aura was depleted... he was not breathing.

“Mom!” she shouted.

Rowena's eyes snapped open and her ears perked up before she launched herself off the couch to kneel beside Qrow. “Don't you dare leave us.” she hissed, setting a hand over his heart.

Her Aura flared before rushing down her arm and into Qrow's chest. The moment the Aura touched him it changed from her dark green to his blood red. 

“Uncle Qrow?” Ruby whimpered, crawling over to them.

After a few seconds, Qrow let out a soft gasping whine then groaned.

“I can't keep him alive like this for long. Raven needs to get back soon.” Rowena admitted. 

Ruby sobbed softly and curled up beside Summer, squeezing her cousin's hand tightly.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Raven tensed as the hair on the back of her neck rose and she tensed as fear rushed through her. “My brother is going to die! Tell me where the antidote is!” she commanded, pulling her sword away from his throat.

Tyrian watched the blade move then screamed in pain as the blade pierced his tail, pinning it to the floor. “My jacket! It's in my jacket!” he howled.

“That wasn't so hard... was it?” Raven snarled, pushing herself up to grab his jacket and go through the pockets. Inside she found two vials and syringes.

Tyrian pawed at the sword, trying desperately to get a grip on it but failing. Pain was overloading his senses... causing his muscles to stop reacting the way he wanted.

“Which one will save my brother's life?” Raven growled.

Tyrian squinted at the vials and whispered, “Blue... into the wound... forces poison out. Grey... into veins... counteracts poison.”

Raven nodded and tucked it all into her belt before pulling her sword from his tail. 

Tyrian whined, curling into a ball around his injured tail. “I'll kill you... you and that little girl too.” he hissed up at Raven.

“No. You won't.” Raven whispered as another shock of fear went through her. 

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Rowena's ears twitched as her front door opened, letting in pale sunlight. Her internal clock told her it was early in the morning.

 _“I haven't felt this awful since I had to stay up with Yang when she was sick and the boys were out on missions.”_ she thought.

“Rowena?” 

She groaned softly and looked up to see Raven shutting the door. “Did you find an antidote?” she asked.

“Yes. Is he?” Raven whispered, not sure how to finish her question. She didn't want her brother to be dead... not even she was that cruel.

“Barely. He stopped breathing a few hours ago. I've been feeding him a little bit of my aura since then... mostly to make sure he stays alive.” she admitted.

Raven looked at the children, all curled up asleep. The pink haired girl and the boys were curled up on the couch together. Ruby and Summer were leaning against each other beside Qrow.

Glancing at Rowena, she sighed heavily. Qrow being ill had taken it's toll on everyone... especially Rowena. Her eyes were glazed over and she was almost as pale as Qrow. 

“You'll want to put down blankets. One of these is supposed to force the poison out of the wound.” Raven told her softly, pulling the vials and syringes out.

“Summer. Ruby.” Rowena whispered.

Both girls jerked awake and immediately looked at Qrow, who was still breathing... thankfully.

“Go get some of our old blankets... the ones we don't use. Raven got an antidote but it's going to make things messy.” Rowena told them.

Summer nodded slowly before going upstairs. “I'm going to get you some water.” Ruby said, disappearing into the kitchen.

“You found the faunus who did this?” Rowena asked Raven.

“Yes.” Raven said, telling her silently that the scorpion faunus was dead. 

Rowena nodded slowly and whispered, “It's for the best. As much as I hate to say it.”

Ruby returned with two glasses of water and offered one to Raven. “Thank you.” Raven whispered, looking down at Qrow. Gingerly she set her hand on his chest beside Rowena's and let a small amount of her Aura wash over him. 

“Been awhile since you've given Aura to anyone?” Rowena asked her, sipping the water Ruby had brought them.

“Yes. Though you seem to be very used to it.” Raven admitted.

Rowena smirked and nodded before glancing at her wrist where Qrow's emblem shimmered.

**Flashback**

“So you two exchanged Aura during your... private activities?” Ozpin asked.

“Yes sir. Then afterwards we saw that his emblem appeared on my wrist and mine appeared on his. Both on our right wrists.” Rowena said, pushing her sleeve up to show Qrow's emblem shimmering silver on her skin. Her emblem was shimmering black on Qrow's.

Ozpin leaned forward to look the emblem on her wrist and said, “Interesting... very interesting.”

“How the hell did our Aura exchange do this?” Qrow asked as he watched Ozpin.

“Do you two know anything about magic?” Ozpin asked.

Rowena and Qrow eyed each other before he said, “Only that it doesn't exist.”

Ozpin sat back behind his desk and watched them with a knowing smirk.

“You're saying it does?” Qrow asked, leaning forward to eye their headmaster.  
Ozpin raised an eyebrow at him and said, “It most definitely does Qrow Branwen. And those marks on your wrist's are a form of magic.”

“Aura is linked to our souls. Everyone knows that.” Rowena said.

“And sometimes two souls are drawn together. Now I'm sure you, Mr. Branwen, have heard that twins share a soul. But that is often incorrect. Twin's souls are often quite close. But those souls are not drawn together like it appears that your souls are.” Ozpin told them.

“How do you figure?” Qrow asked.

Ozpin motioned towards the marks on their wrists and said, “Aura exchanges are very tricky and quite intimate. Very few of them are even performed anymore. In ancient times, aura exchanges were only performed by soul mates.”

“Soulmates?” Rowena asked, ears tilting to the side as Qrow's eyebrows shot up.

“It's very rare to see it happen anymore. But apparently your souls were drawn together in a way that the world hasn't seen in a very long time.” Ozpin told them.

Qrow cocked his head at Ozpin before looking at Rowena and asked, “So we're soulmates?”

“It would seem so. But in my experience you have three options. One: you remain together, continue to do Aura Exchanges and allow the bond to strengthen. Two: you remain together but do not perform any further Aura Exchanges and while you will still be together, the soulmate bond will not strengthen. Three: you do not remain together, forget about the soulmate bond and be happy with other people.” Ozpin told them, getting up and leading them gently towards the door.

“What happens if we Exchange with someone else? Will we form a bond with them?” Rowena asked.

“No. Once you've formed a soul bond with one person, you will not form another.” he told them.

“So what now?” Rowena muttered, leaning against a pillar outside of Ozpin's office.

Qrow smirked, leaned down to nip one of her ears and said, “I say let's run with it and see what this soul bond does for us.”

“So you're good with wearing my emblem?” she asked, twitching her ear away from his mouth.

“You willing to wear mine?” he asked as he stroked his thumb over her wrist.

Rowena smirked and whispered, “Yeah.”


	7. Loved Ones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously have way too many feels right now. So please take some of my feels!
> 
> And yes there is a reveal for a trans character in this chapter.

The first thing he noticed was the warmth.

Not the kind of warmth that came from having Zwei curled up on his chest or from being stretched out next to someone's fireplaces.

This was the kind of warmth he felt when he had either fallen asleep on his perch in Ozpin's office or stretched out on the Beacon campus grounds... both in the middle of the day.

The warmth wasn't uncomfortable... not quite but he'd have to move before long to keep from getting too hot.

“Hey you.” a voice, soft and feminine, laughed.

He knew that voice... but he hadn't heard it in a long time.

“Summer?” he whispered, sitting up and almost bursting into tears at the sight of her.

Summer... tiny, beautiful, kind Summer... the mirror image of Ruby in a white cloak instead of red.

“It's been a while Qrow.” she told him.

“Are you real? How drunk am I?” he asked.

Summer laughed, warm and soft, before shaking her head at him. “Am I real... maybe? Are you drunk... I doubt it. You've been unconscious for a few days.” she said.

“Unconscious? Oh...” he muttered as he suddenly remembered everything that had happened.

The fight with that scorpion faunus.

Being grazed by his stringer and badly poisoned.

The kids having to protect and care for him... instead of the other way around.

Rowena... little Summer... Raven... all the hallucinations.

Then... the Grimm attacking Rowena just outside the house and him sending a crow made out of his Aura to protect her.

“Am I dead?” he asked.

Summer shook her head, red hair tips slipping in front of her eyes. “Not yet. And it's not your time to leave anyways. You're kind of in an in-between place right now.” she assured him.

Gingerly he leaned forward and brushed her hair from her face. “Ruby looks exactly like you. Except she wears a red cloak.” he sighed.

Summer smiled and said, “I know. I've kept an eye on the girls, Tai, Rowena, Summer... you.”

Qrow pulled his knees to his chest, rested his chin on top of them and stared at her. “We all took losing you hard... especially Tai. And me.” he admitted.

Smiling softly, Summer moved to sit beside him and whispered, “Like I said... I've kept on an eye on everyone. And I know how much you've blamed yourself all these years.”

“I should have gone with you on that mission.” he muttered.

“You probably would have died too, Qrow. There were so many Grimm... nothing I did even made a dent into their numbers because they just kept spawning. Besides, you were needed at home more. Yang and Ruby needed their uncle. Summer needed her father.” Summer told him.

“Yang and Ruby needed their mother.” Qrow argued.

“And Summer needs her father. Besides, what kind of soulmate would you be if you left Rowena alone with a broken heart?” 

“I think he did that already.”

Qrow looked over his shoulder at the two figures standing behind him. They were both had extremely dark skin and hair but one had almost black eyes while the other had hazel. “Zed?” he asked, recognizing the one wearing dark blue pants and a matching shirt.

Zed nodded and turned to her twin, who wore dark purple pants and a matching shirt. “Long time, no see Qrow.” Zeke said as they came over and settled down next to him.

Cocking his head, he noticed that Zeke looked softer, slightly more hourglass shaped than she used to.

“Finally got to be who you want to be?” Qrow asked.

Zeke smiled and said, “Apparently here we appear as we saw ourselves in our hearts... at least I do.” 

“I'll tell Rowena when I see her next.” he assured Zeke.

When Rowena, Finn, Zed and Zeke had been on a team together, the twins had tried and failed to keep a secret from their two teammates.

Zeke had been born male but identified as female since she was very young.

Finn and Rowena had not been bothered by their teammate's physical gender and had only cared more about making sure Zeke never felt pressured to be who she didn't want to be.

When Qrow and the rest of his team had found out, they were so used to seeing Zeke as a girl that it had not bothered them in the slightest.

“Your little girl has one red eye.” Zed said.

“Yes, she does.” he agreed quietly.

**Flashback**

Qrow felt his heart melt as soon as they put his daughter in his arms. She was small, smaller than Yang but not as tiny as Ruby. Already he could see a tiny bit of dark hair on her head.

“Qrow?” Rowena whispered.

“She's beautiful 'Wena.” he assured him, clutching the baby close.

Slowly his tiny daughter opened her eyes to stare at him and he saw that one eye was hazel, like Rowena's eyes and the other... the other was the color of a dying ember.

“Her eyes... she's got one of mine.” he whispered.

“She has a tail too.” the nurse told him softly before she stepped out of the door to go grab Tai, Summer, Finn and the girls.

Rowena sighed softly and closed her eyes while Qrow carefully kissed his daughter's forehead. He was probably crying but he didn't care. 

“Can I hold the baby?” 

“We'll see what your Aunt Rowena and Uncle Qrow say honey.”

The door opened to admit the rest of their little family. “Is she a faunus?” Finn whispered.

“Yeah... she's got a little black tail.” Rowena whispered.

Summer kissed her cheek as she put Ruby on the bed and said, “I'm happy for you.”

Tai peeked down into the bundle of blankets and whispered, “She's beautiful. Nice job Qrow.”

“Tell that to 'Wena. She did all the work.” Qrow chuckled but allowed Tai to take the baby.

“Can we hold her?” Yang asked.

Rowena yawned but nodded and Qrow whispered, “Sure firecracker.”

Tai sat on the edge of the bed before very carefully settling the baby in Yang's arms. Ruby's hand gently slid under her head... doing exactly what her mother had taught her.

“What are you naming her?” Summer asked, pulling out her camera.

“Summer Lupin.” Qrow told them.

Summer blushed as she took the picture of Tai and all three girls. None of them asked why the baby would not have Qrow's last name. The five adults had already had that discussion many times.

“Oz called. He and Glynda will be here later to see the baby.” Tai said.

“I wish the twins were here to see her.” Finn whispered, long tail wagging slowly.

Rowena made a soft sound in her sleep and Qrow nodded slowly. Zed and Zeke had been killed on a mission in a small town in North Atlas only a few short months before.

**End Flashback**

“Uncle Qrow?”

“Come back to us Qrow.” 

Qrow lifted his head and saw that it was dark but now he was all alone. 

“Summer? Zed? Zeke?” he called.

The wind picked up and blew golden brown leaves into his lap.

“It's time to return to your loved ones Qrow Branwen. The war isn't over yet.” another voice said. 

“Amber?” he called.

“Tell Jaune... I'm sorry.” a fifth voice whispered. 

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“Uncle Qrow?”

“Why won't he wake up?” 

“He was very badly injured and ill for quite a while. Give him time.” 

Qrow groaned and muttered, “You kids talk too much.”

There was a giggle then someone was hugging him tightly. “Uncle Qrow.” 

Opening his eyes, he saw a red cloak and chuckled. “Hey kiddo.” he whispered.


	8. Bonds, Secrets & A Romance Re-Kindled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a few small warnings:  
> implied non-descriptive nudity  
> a little bit of language (not just from Qrow)  
> Mommy & Daddy fighting  
> implied child abuse

Rowena smiled softly as Ruby moved to let Qrow sit up then Summer immediately hugged him.

“Glad you to see back.” she whispered, nudging him with her foot.

“It's good to see that you're alright Mr. Branwen.” Ren said.

Qrow rolled his eyes and said, “Stow the Mister crap kid. Either call me Qrow or... just call me Qrow.” 

Summer giggled before glancing down at his wrist. The black ink tattooed on his skin had a mother of pearl gleam to it and she could feel a strange power coming from her mother's emblem on his wrist.

Gingerly she touched the mark and let out a yelp as snippets of memories rushed through her mind.

Rowena watching Qrow walking into a room in a skirt and laughing about it.

Qrow's multiple failed attempts to flirt with her.

A small bouquet of flowers falling into Rowena's lap and a crow landing beside her.

Their first fight together against Grimm.

The two of them dancing... laughing... cuddling... mourning... arguing... then finally her mother walking out the door of a house that Summer only knew from pictures.

“Summer?” Qrow asked as she jerked her hand away.

“I saw... you two... when you were younger. In Beacon... fighting Grimm... then eventually mom leaving. What are those marks?” Summer whispered.

Qrow looked up at Rowena before she said, “Soulmate marks. They first appeared on our wrists when we exchanged Aura the first time. According to what Ozpin said when we were younger: they are very rare and a form of magic. In ancient times, Aura Exchanges were only done by soulmates and that was mostly due to the intimancy of it. These days Aura Exchanges are more commons and soul mates are rare. Ozpin said that two souls aren't often drawn to each other anymore.” 

“But apparently our's were.” Qrow finished, stroking Rowena's ankle.

“So how come the marks showed up when she gave you Aura? And why aren't they always there?” Jaune asked.

“The more soulmates exchange Aura, the stronger the bond. We used to exchange a little bit of Aura all the time... in Beacon and after. The marks were there almost constantly back then. Eventually it got to a point that if we were seperated, one of us could send our Aura out to touch the other and both marks would appear. Kinda like what happened when Rowena gave me some of her Aura.” Qrow said.

“Even though we are soulmates, the marks fade if we're seperated for too long. It was... probably a year before mine faded away. Which leads me to a question. Why the tattoo Qrow?” Rowena said.

Qrow sighed and admitted, “After the mark faded off my wrist, I couldn't deal with not seeing it. It made me feel like a piece of me got ripped away... again. So Tai took me to a friend of his named Asher, who did the tattoo for me. And then eventually.... it started to hurt too much to see the tattoo... so I wore wrappings over it. The fabric had have Earth Dust woven in so it's more durable.”

“I remember Asher. He's the Albino Snake Faunus that did the dragon on Tai's back and his emblem on his arm.” Rowena admitted.

“Asher also did the birds on Tai's left shoulder and the rose petals on his left hip.” Qrow added.

Rowena nudged him and asked, “How do you know about one on his hip?”

“We spar 'Wena. Occassionally... we spar shirtless.” he told her.

Rowena's tail thumped against the edge of the chair and she said, “Apparently I need to be in Patch the next time that happens.”

“Ewwww!” Summer and Ruby both squealed, covering their ears with their hands.

Qrow laughed, a deep and warm sound that Rowena found she had missed before he cringed. He was still hurting even though the wound was healing now that the poison was out of his system and his Aura was replenishing itself.

“Uncle Qrow?” Ruby asked.

“I'm okay. Just hurting still.” he admitted.

Ruby looked up at Rowena as Summer cuddled close to her father. “He just needs time girls.” Rowena reassured them.

“And a shower. You smell.” Summer added.

Qrow narrowed his eyes at her before ruffling her hair gently. He was cruel to his enemies but couldn't stay mad at his loved ones for long, especially not the children.

“I think I can help with that. Why don't you kids try to get some sleep. I'm sure you're all exhausted from staying up with Qrow.” Rowena said, gently pulling Qrow to his feet.

“It's the middle of the after.... noon.” Jaune said with a yawn. 

Nora was already dozing off against Ren's shoulder beside Jaune on the couch while both Ruby and Summer were beginning to yawn.

“Best do as Rowena says.” Qrow told them, leaning against her.

Ruby yawned wide and nodded before crawling into the armchair that her aunt had abandoned. Summer grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch to toss over Ren, Nora and Jaune before curled up in the chair with Ruby.

**-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Qrow sighed and leaned his head back against the edge of the tub. “Whatever you put in this water is amazing.” he groaned.

“That's a secret.” Rowena smirked, leaning against his chest.

“I thought we agreed: no keeping secrets.” he reminded her.

Rowena's ears twitched and she asked, “So why didn't you tell me what you were doing for Oz all these years? Why did Glynda have to be the one to write me and tell me about the Maidens?”

“Damn that woman.” Qrow muttered.

After a moment, he opened one eye and admitted, “I didn't tell you because coming out here to see would have hurt too much. And it might have put you and Summer in danger.”

“I'm a Huntress. I can defend myself and our daughter. I've been doing it all these years.” she said.

“I know... I know but... after you left... I couldn't even haul my ass out of bed half the time. I wasn't any different than Tai, except that I drank a lot more than he ever did. One night, when I was in Vale, Oz came to me and asked me to come back to Beacon with him. He told me about the Maidens that night and the next morning he introduced me to Amber... the Fall Maiden who died the night Beacon fell. He warned me that finding and protecting them would be extremely dangerous. So I swore to them that I would not tell anyone what I was doing for him. He made sure to remind me that you and Summer would be in danger too if we were still connected in anyway. And of my Semblance... it strikes everyone...” Qrow told her.

Rowena narrowed her eyes and growled, “Stop using your Semblance as an excuse.”

Qrow's eyes widened at her sudden burst of anger and he hissed, “It's not an excuse.”

“Like hell it's not! Every single time something bad happens, even if you just hear about it, you think it's because of you! Everything that goes wrong is your fault according to you!” she snapped, turning completely around to face him. The fur on her tail bristled and her ears shot forward.

“Look at my track record! Raven left! You went into premature labor: twice and our daughter was still two and half a weeks early! Summer died! Yang lost her arm! Ruby found out about the power that comes from having silver eyes before she was ready! Salem's pawns infiltrated Beacon and destroyed it! Oz is gone! I almost died!” he shouted.

“I know that! I lived some of that! Ruby told me a little of it! The rest of it I saw through our bond! But I am sick and tired...” she snapped, trailing off as her temper settled.

“You always blame yourself when something goes bad. You always distance yourself from people you care about. And I know why. I remember your stories about the bandits and what they put you through as a child. None of that was your fault Qrow. You've let everything they did to you... everything they told you... dictate how you view the world, how little you trust people, how much you push people away. I doubt anyone's ever told you because they've all accepted that it's all just a part of who you are but all of that... hurts the people who love you. Summer doesn't know the kind of man you are yet and I want her to know the man I love... not the one you are now.” she whispered.

Qrow stared at her, shocked at both her outbursts.

Rowena had always been so calm, even when she was angry and always turned that anger on Grimm.

“I'm sorry.” he whispered, gently cupping her face to make her look at him.

Rowena's ears pressed back against her hair as she stared at him.

“I know I was always... difficult. And I'm eternally grateful for you putting up with me. I don't have much to offer you... except my word that I'll do everything in my power to be a decent father for our daughter. And a decent soulmate for you. But my life is still dangerous. I've decided to pick up where Oz left off. There are still three maidens to find and protect.” he whispered.

“Actually. There are only two. I know where one is.” Rowena told him.

Qrow cocked his head slowly at her and she smiled softly. “Oh shit.” he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... cliffhanger
> 
> Probably going to take a brief hiatus from this until I can A: get some chapters written on my other stories & B: figure out where I want this story to go. Suggests, comments, etc... are more than welcome.


	9. Secrets & Photographs & Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow & Rowena discuss secrets then take walks down memory lane with the kids.
> 
> Summer shares a secret with her father.
> 
> Rowena returns to the path of a Huntress & Summer takes her first steps down that same path.

Qrow opened an eye And glanced at the other side of the bed, before sitting up. This was not his room... it was too big... too roomy... too personal.

There was something in the air... something that reminded him that he was in Mistral.

“You awake out there Qrow?” 

That voice... Rowena... his sweetheart from Beacon... his soulmate... the mother of his daughter.

“Yeah... I was out of it for a few.” he responded, tossing the blanket's aside And pulling his pants on. His shirt, washed And repaired, was sitting on the table... he'd put it on later.

Rowena stuck her head out of the bathroom And asked, “How do you feel?”

“Groggy... sober... still trying to process everything.” he admitted as he got to stretch.

“It is a lot to take in... believe me.” Rowena agreed.

After a couple of rounds in bed, they had stayed up late talking about Summer, Ruby, Yang, Tai, Beacon, Oz... the Maiden that Rowena claimed to know the location of... and all the secrets they had kept over the years... from each other And so many other people.

“Did Oz know?” Qrow asked, leaning against the doorway.

“Yes he did. In fact, he was the one who told me that the legend of the Wizard And the Four Maidens was true. He called me fairly often over the years to make sure Summer And I were safe.” Rowena admitted as she began to towel dry her tail.

Qrow sighed And picked up a towel, playing with it to keep his hands occupied. “So all this time... I was on a wild goose chase. He knew where the Spring Maiden was.” he muttered.

One of Rowena's ears twitched in his direction And she whispered, “I wanted to tell you Qrow. But Oz... he asked me not to. The work you did for him was already dangerous enough... he was worried that if someone was able to force you to talk... the Spring Maiden's power could fall into the Dark Queen's hands. It's bad enough that she has Fall's power.”

“He didn't trust me!” he snapped, throwing the towel aside in frustration.

Rowena set her towel down And wrapped her arms around his waist. “I wanted to tell you. I hated not telling you. But he insisted... and you know that the old wizard was always so persuasive.” she sighed.

“I was his eyes in the world... his wings... the one who kept him from becoming truly secluded in that tower of his.” Qrow muttered.

“It wasn't because he didn't trust you. He simply didn't want you to feel like you failed your mission... him... if the Spring Maiden's powers were taken too. He knew that... alongside the grief... it would kill you.” Rowena whispered as her ears slipped back.

Qrow let out the breath that he didn't realize he had been holding And Rowena felt the tension drain out of him. “This does explain a hell of a lot.” he admitted.

“I thought it would... once you knew.” Rowena told him.

Qrow laughed softly And muttered, “We should finish drying you off... the kids are gonna wake up soon.”

“And if Ruby has Tai's appetite, she'll be starving And so will Summer.” Rowena smirked.

“She does And I take it Summer has my appetite?” he laughed.

Rowena's tail wag was enough to answer that question.

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“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby shouted, rushing him as soon as his feet hit the kitchen floor.

“Hey kid... Rowena will be down in a minute to make breakfast.” he chuckled, ruffling her hair gently.

Summer looked over her shoulder And said, “We already started on pancakes. Apparently Nora loves them. Especially when Ren cooks.”

Qrow glanced over at the orange haired girl who was digging into a massive stack of pancakes. “Has she met Tai?” he asked.

“No. But they'd get along.” Ruby giggled.

“It must be a Hunter And Huntress thing.” Qrow smirked.

Quite a few of the Beacon Alumni, most of whom Qrow was still friends with, could easily eat their weight in food And stay in amazing shape with little effort.

All of Teams STRQ And FRZZ had extremely fast metabolisms, something their children had inherited but none of them could hold a candle to Barty Oobleck's mile a minute metabolism.

“I don't think anyone who is or has attended Beacon ate nearly as much as Barty.” Rowena said.

Qrow smirked And said, “I was thinking that our metabolism's never held a candle to his.”

“You know Professor Oobleck?” Jaune asked.

“We were all at Beacon together. Glynda too.” Rowena told him as she poured eggs into a pan.

Ruby's eyes widened And she giggled, “That's so cool.”

“Yeap. Teams STRQ, FRZZ And GMBL. Glyn And Barty were on a team together. Along with Linna Peach, who teaches Aura And Natural Healing at Beacon now.” Qrow told her.

“What ever happened to Meeka Scarlatina? Did you ever hear?” Rowena asked.

Nora perked up And chirped, “We know a girl named Velvet Scarlatina. She was a second year.”

“You have pictures of Meeka?” Qrow asked Rowena, getting up.

“Upstairs. In the photo album that has Beacon's emblem on it.” she told him.

A few moment's later, Qrow returned with the photo album in question And began flipping through it.

“Here's a good one. She was always pretty shy.” Qrow said, turning the album around to face Ruby, Jaune And Nora. Looking back at them were the younger versions of three of their professors And a young woman with long brown hair, teal eyes And rabbit ears.

“Wow... she looks almost exactly like Velvet. Except Velvet's eyes are brown.” Ruby whispered.

“So Meeka had a daughter. I wonder with who.” Rowena said, settled a large plate of eggs on the table before flipping a page in the album. 

The picture on the next page took up the entire page itself And had been taken in one of Beacon's many courtyards. All three teams had been in their third year And a younger student had taken the photo.

Qrow And Rowena were sprawled out together with Summer Rose sitting nearby.

Barty was crouched beside Tai And Meeka, the three of them laughing over something Tai had said.

Glynda And Raven were sitting together And talking softly, while Linna watched fondly from where she sat under a tree reading.

Zeke was talking with Finn while Zed slept contently nearby.

“Wow... you all looked so happy.” Summer smiled.

“We were.” Rowena agreed, sitting beside Qrow.

Ruby pointed to Finn, Zeke And Zed before asking, “Who are they?”

“They were my teammate's. Zeke And Zed... they were killed shortly before Summer was born. Finn is living in a small town north of Haven. She's their primary Huntress. We used to talk a lot before the CCT went down. Occasionally she would ask me to go visit her town to help defend it or heal it's sick And injured. She helped to train Summer a bit.” Rowena told her.

“We're going to Haven. I wonder if we could meet her.” Ruby said, helping herself to a third helping.

“She doesn't leave her town often. But two of her protege's recently graduated from Haven. So if I asked... she might join us.” Rowena said.

Qrow looked at Summer And asked, “What's your semblance kiddo?”

Summer smiled And said, “I'll show you. Come on dad.”

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“Are you sure it's alright for you to leave your home?” Ren asked Rowena.

“It'll be fine. I've left it before.” she assured him as vines shifted to cover the house.

Summer's tail curled around her leg as she watched her home disappear under a veil of foliage.

“Cheer up kiddo. Every Huntress has to leave home sometime. And if we find some Grimm, your semblance And your weapons are going them wish they had never crossed your path.” Qrow whispered in her ear before kissing her hair.

Summer smiled softly at him before nodding. “Who is the Headmaster of Haven?” she asked.

“Ambrose Lionheart. Bit of a hard ass.” Qrow told her.

“You only say that because he never approved of your drinking habits.” Rowena reminded him.

Qrow shrugged And took a drink from his flask. He didn't ask why Rowena had a bottle of the best brand of Mistralian whiskey in her cabinet... but he was grateful for it.

“So... to Haven?” Jaune asked.

“To Haven.” Rowena agreed.

Qrow tucked his flask away, winked at her And was gone in a flurry of feathers, taking wing to scout ahead And act as their guide.

“How does he do that?” Nora asked.

“That is one of the few things that I don't know about him.” Rowena admitted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this was going to be on Haitus but surprisingly a new chapter began to roll around in my head recently. 
> 
> Guess that's what happens when you're on a road trip. I've been working on this chapter in hotels the past few nights & now I'm settled in Las Vegas for a few days for my wedding then I go back on the road.
> 
> I know what Summer's semblance & weapons are... but I'm waiting to reveal them. 
> 
> Meeka is an OC but I like the idea of Glynda & Barty having gone to school with Tai, Qrow & all of the girls... especially Barty. I made up a first name for the mysterious Professor Peach who we haven't seen but heard of.
> 
> GMBL is pronounced Gamble.


	10. Notice

Author: okay this on is more of an Author's note so sorry.

I've had a lot going on lately in my life: more than I can begin to discuss.

I do plan to come back to this story because I can't wait to see Summer interact more with Qrow. 

I do have her weapons and semblance written down... I just to try to draw her weapon.

I also have two idea in mind for her emblem as well... which I will also be attempting to draw in the next few days.

I will attempt to upload photos when I can... if they turn out well. I have high hopes since Rowena's emblem (see my profile pic) turned out well


	11. Artwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer's Weapon needs a name. So please leave comments with suggestions!
> 
> I'm not a great artist, sorry.
> 
> Shadows are from me having to take photos on my phone to upload the pictures

Okay, this one was originally gonna be vines forming the image.  But the wood carving look was better

 

Tried to base it off the weapon pages RT show at the end of episodes  

 

again tried to base it off the RT Weapon Sheets at the end of Episodes


End file.
